Folks Of Interest RIP Don Orosco

Sounds like a really good guy, gone too soon.
Notice the tapering rows of louvers in the hood tops. Detail!

 

From :

It is with a heavy heart that we pass along the sad news that hot rodder, racer, restorer and collector, Don Orosco, has passed away due to complications from a long battle with multiple myeloma.

Don was one of the great champions of the traditional hot rod movement of the early 1990s and oversaw the restoration and resurrection of such great and historic hot rods as the Dick Flint roadster, the original So-Cal Coupe, the Lloyd Bakan coupe, and the Tony La Masa roadster. . . just to name a few.

He also made available to the hot rod community a wonderful line of high-quality reproduction speed equipment that is second to none, featuring names like Eddie Meyer, ELCO, ORD, ARDUN, and Italmeccanica.

He was a hard-charging historic sports car racer on the track, oftentimes seen in one of his Scarab sports racers or Grand Prix cars, and never disappointed with his incredible set-up each year in the pits at Laguna Seca.

That said, our interactions with Don always revolved around his never-ending love for early Ford-based hot rods and we’ll always remember him for that. Thank you for everything you did for our little slice of the car world, Don Orosco. Godspeed to you!​

 

Don, was a great guy and will be missed. He sold me some very hard to find parts for my 34 3 window from his personal collection at a very fair price.

 

Damn, this is sad news. I remember him bringing his Scarabs to the UK to race way back in the 90s and then again in the 2000s. I have a feeling I spoke to him briefly about his car at the Silverstone paddock without knowing who he was and. RIP.

 

Sad News! God Bless.

 

Here's some of the high-quality reproduction Eddie Meyer speed equipment that Don made available to the "Traditional" Hot Rod community:

Eddie Meyer Two Carburetor Exhaust Heated Intake Manifold (1932 to 1948)


Eddie Meyer Two Carburetor Water Heated Intake Manifold (1932 to 1948)


Eddie Meyer 21 Stud Cylinder Heads (1932 to 1936)


Eddie Meyer 24 Stud Cylinder Heads (Early Style: Pre-WWII)


Eddie Meyer 24 Stud Cylinder Heads (Late Style: Post-WWII)


Eddie Meyer 24 Stud Cylinder Heads (8BA 1949 to 1953)


Eddie Meyer V8-60 Cylinder Heads (1937 to 1940)


Eddie Meyer Two Carburetor Ford V8-60 Intake Manifold with Adapters (1937 to 1940)


Eddie Meyer V8-60 Timing Cover (1937 to 1940)


Eddie Meyer Four Carburetor Intake Manifold (1932 to 1948)
​

 

... Don's high-quality reproduction ELCO speed equipment:

ELCO Twin Spark Plug Cylinder Heads (1939 to 1948)
​

 

... Don's high-quality "Angle Drive" speed equipment:

Vertex Style Angle Drive and Bronze Drive Gear (1932 to 1948)


Dual Vertex Magneto Angle Drive (1932 to 1948)
​

 

... Don's high-quality reproduction Smith speed equipment:

Smith 24 Stud Cylinder Heads with External Water Logs (1939 to 1948)
​

 

... Don's high-quality reproduction ORD (Mel Ord) speed equipment:

ORD 24 Stud Cylinder Heads, Two Carburetor Intake Manifold and Adapters (1939 to 1948)
​

 

... Don's high-quality reproduction Italmeccanica speed equipment:

Italmeccanica Flathead V8 Pan (1932 to 1948)
​

 

... Don's other high quality "Specialty" speed equipment:

Bell Auto Parts Style Four Spoke 15-Inch Steering Wheel


Veda Spec Aluminum Simulated Knock-Off Hub Caps


Two-One Barrel Carburetor Intake Manifold with Vacuum Chamber


Forged Steel Halibrand Style Knock-Off


Halibrand Style Differential Housing (1932 to 1948)​

 

Hemi 32, Thanks for posting the photos. Quality was never compromised when Don produced his repo products. All were dimensionally accurate and very high quality. Again RIP

 

Anyone heard if someone bought the patterned to keep his stuff alive?